Drum



` Aug 7, 195l R. w. LIVINGSTON 2,563,346

DRUM

Filed Oct. 28, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet l ug 7, 1951 R. w. LIVINGSTON 2,563,346

DRUM

Filed OCQ. 28, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 7, 1951 R. w. LIVINGSTON DRUM 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 28, 1948 D Hi Patented Aug. 7, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRUM Robert W. Livingston, East Rochester, N. Y.

Application October 28, 1948, Serial No. 57,015

The present invention relates to' musical instruments and more particularly to drums. In a still more specific aspect, the invention pertains to bass drums.

The conventional bass drum is twenty-four inches or more in diameter. It is extremely bulky; and it is awkward to carry and to transport.

At different timesin the past proposals have been made for building collapsible drums with the idea that the collapsed drum would occupy less linear space when collapsed than when in operative position, and accordingly would be easier to transport. In all of these prior proposals, of which I am aware, the drum was reduced in dimension only linearly by collapsing it. Its dimensions remained conventional when in operative position; and its diameter was of conventional size even when the drum was collapsed. It was still a difficult instrument to transport. Moreover, with the prior types of collapsible drums, the collapsible feature could be obtained only with a sacrifice in tonal qualities and with deficiencies in drum structure.

One object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible type drum of sturdier,Y more practical construction than previous proposals for such drums.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drum, which may be collapsed soY that it will occupy considerably less space than its operative position, but which, when in operative position, will have the same tonal qualities as a conventional, non-collapsible drum of the same character.

A further object of the invention is to provide a drum, which, when in operative position, will be of smaller diameter than a conventional drum for the same purpose, and which can be collapsed linearly into still further reduced size.

. Another object of the invention is to provide a bass drum, which is made of parts that can be telescoped into one another, and which has a diameter considerably less than the diameter of the conventional bass drum and which, when collapsed, will have but little more than the length of such a drum, so that it can be carried and transported readily. v

Still another object of the invention is to provide a telescoping type drum, the inside of which can be used, when collapsed, for storage purposes for carrying music, pedestals. lpedals and other equipment of the drummer. Y Other objects of the inventlonwillbe apparent hereinafter from the specification and vfrom the recital of the appended claims.

7 Claims. (Cl. 84-412) In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing a collapsible drum built according to one embodiment of this invention in extended position and set up for use;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the extended drum on a somewhat enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation looking at the drum from the left hand end of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the drum in collapsed position;

Fig.A 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View of the drum in collapsed position;

Fi. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 'I is a sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, it will be'seen that the drum illustrated comprises two outside shells I0 and I I and an intermediate tube or cylinder I2. .The tube or cylinder I2 is adapted to slide and telescope within the shell I I. It may be made integral with the shell IIJ, but is preferably formed as a separate part and rigidly secured to the shell I0 by bolts I3 and nuts I4. A rubber gasket or ring I5 is interposed between the shell I0 and cylinder I2 to form an air-tight connection between these parts when the drum is in use. A rubber gasket or ring I6 is glued or otherwise secured in the shell II to engage the periphery of the cylinder I2 to provide an air-tight seal between these two parts.

The skins 20 are fastened to the remotely spaced ends of the shells I0 and II. These may be secured to the shells in conventional manner as by flesh hoops 22 and retaining hoops 23. The requisite tension or pressure on the skins may be applied in the usual manner by means of lhooks 25, which engage the retaining rings 23, and screws 26, vwhich thread into lugs 21 that are formed integral with or fastened in suitable manner to the outsides of the shells Ill and II.

The shells II] and II with the skins 20 and with the means for securing the skins to these shells constitute the drum heads. The shells I0 and I I and the cylinder I2 are rigid parts. They may be made of wood or metal or any other sultable material.

. When the drum is in use, it is extended shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the shell III being moved away from the shell Il and the cylinder I2 being pulled out of the shell II as far as practical. When the drum is not in use, the cylinder I2 may be telescoped into the shell II until the adjacent ends of the shells lil and Il abut against one another as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this telescoped or collapsed condition, the drum can readily be transported.

With the present invention it has been found that not only can the length of the drum be reduced for transportation by its telescoping construction, but that its diameter may also be reduced which has-additional advantage asr'eg'ards both transportation anduse. It will' bel noted thatv when the drum is extended for use, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, its lengthwise dimension is con: siderably greater than its diameter. This fea--V ture has been taken advantage of to reduce the overall diameter of the drum.

For instance, as stated previously, aconventional bass drum is twenty-four inches or more in diameter. A size widely used is twe'rt'yefdu-r inches in diameter and' fourteen inches long. With my drum, these dimensionsfcanbe partially reversed. The diameter of the drum can be: redueeduto fourteen inches when its open length is made approximately twenty-six inches. 'I-he somewhat increased length as compared with'the diameter of a standard bass drum ispr'ovided to compensate for the somewhat reduced diameter' at the central portion of my drum due to the dif`'v ference in diametersbetween the cylinder l2 and the shells I0 and I I. 1

y Aedrumv made accordingL tothe dimensions'given has been found to have the same'zt'onal qualities a's-al conventional bass drum. Because of the reduction indiameter, however, it is a much easier instrument to handle even in-use'than a conventional'- bass drum. VIn non-use, it is extremely easy to transport. It can-'be'telescoped to a linear dimension of approximately nineteen inches. Insteadof a big drumtwenty-four inches-or greater in diameter and fourteerrinches or' as long,A with my invention, Vthe drummerhas an instrument only fourteen inches-'by nineteen inches to transport when it is notin-'useg My drum can beV made at a' reasonable* cost; The dimensionscari'?` be such,V forA instance, that the shells of'a standard snare* drum may beused for Vmy telescoping Ytype bass drum. Thismate'- r`ial1y reduces the cost ofmanufacture.

' When in use; the'drum may be held in itsvv open position by lock' rods 3o (Figidf. Thereareftwo' of1 these employedl- Each of# these is adapted to be inserted through aligned holes in a boss 32', tube 34- and boss 35; and' each-isf adaptedto' be secured in place by a nut 31 that threads' onto its lower end. 'I'hebos'ses132 and 36L are secured tothe outsidefof the shell` Il` by screws 38. `The tubesv 34 are mounted in aligned-openings inthe cylinder lf2'. The" rods 3D Vcan be manipulatedby handles 39 to thread or unthreadthem from'thef nuts 31.

rods. c

- Inuse, the drum may be' carried by a strap, around the neck of Vth'edrummer. For orchestral use, however, legsfll'.- 4l andf v1121 are*l prefer-ably collapsed drum may be used for storage of music and of various other articles including the fastening rods 30, for when the fastening rods are detached from the drum, access is had to the space inside of the drum, 'I'he case or covering jacket, in which the drum is transported will prevent the drum sections from coming apart.

Fig. 1 shows the drumsetupvfor use in a swing type orchestra;` The drur stick? 50'1v ishere-:mounted' at o'ne7 end o'f the 'drum' for operation by a foot-treadle 52. The drum stick is pivotally `mounted upon a pedestal 53; and the pedal supporting plate 54 is clamped to this pedestal which,

in turn,l is clamped to the foot o0 by a clamp designat'd ge'rlerally' at 55. A link 5| connects the drum-stick With-the foot-treadle.

- practice in the art tofwhich the-invention-relates' CH l.

andv asmay be applied-to`4 the essential features" hereinbefore set-forthand-asffall'within the scope" of the invention or the' limits off the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimis:

l. A collapsible bass drum comprising two heads,A a rigidk tubular section' which issecured to one of said heads and is adapted to telescope directly into4 the otheigisaid drum). when extended having a greater length than diameter, and means for detachably locking;v the tubular section to said other head when'thedrumfisrextended.

2. A collapsible drunilcomprising two'he'a'ds, Va rigid tubular section which secured to one of said headsf and is adapted' to telescopev directly into the other, said drum, either' when extended or collapsed having a greater length than' diameter, and means for detachably locking the tubular section tosa'id2 other-` head when the drum isextended. Y

3. A' collapsible druml comprising two heads-a' rigid-body section which-is secured' to one headV and is adapted' to telescopeinto'the other head,

- the diameter of the drum being less than the provided to s'upport' the drum.. Theleg 40 nay ets 45 that are'- adapted to be clampe'dto-therea taining hoop 23 Yand securedin rposition-by the clamping screws 46. Y y 4` When thel drumis not infuse, the' legs 4| and Stored inside of# the c'ollapseclfdrum?l In'factg-th diameter of aconventional rigid drumV for the sameu'se but thelengthof saidl drum, whenvex: tended, beingsufficientlyY greater' than the length of said' conventional' drum: sol-thatthe volume of the drum, when' extendedi: willequal approxi mately` thev volume' of thef conventional `drum whereby the collapsible drum may.Y possess sub;- st'antially the same tonall qualitiesj as said* coniY vention'al drum;y andflneans for detachably locke ing the: tubular section to saidl' other head! when the drumis extended; i

4: A- collaps'ible' drurncomprisin'g.- two" heads, a rigid body section which is se'credtoone head' and-has direct*telescopihgfrelatiil Withlthe other, and means-v :forl` lcll-il'lgj the duiriin-.openl positionv comprising: a"A pair ofi rodez' :each oiwhichi's; adapt# edito? bei passed-f through? align'eop'ening-S o' of the heads and said bod-yfjs'ection?" 5. Av collapsible diumcompiisingtwo heads, a rigid' bodyr section?` which is seruredY to one headand has direct teleseoping relation with the other) and means for locking the drum in extended position comprising a pair of rods, each of which is adapted to be passed through a hole in a boss formed on the head, a tube mounted inthe body section, and a hole in a second boss formed on the head, the bore of said tube being aligned with the holes in the bosses.

6. A collapsible drum comprising two heads, a rigid body section which is secured to one head and has direct telescoping relation with the other, and supporting legs secured to each of the two heads at the same side of the longitudinal axis of the drum and cooperating to support said drum on its side.

7. A collapsible drum comprising two heads, a 1

rigid tubular body section secured to one head and having direct telescoping relation with the other head, a supporting leg secured to one head at one side of the longitudinal axis of the drum,

a. separate supporting leg secured to the other head at the same side of said longitudinal axis, said drum, either when extended or when co1- lapsed having a greater length than diameter, and means for releasably locking the tubular section to said other head when the drum is extended.

ROBERT W. LIVINGSTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 151,797 Raivson June 9, 1874 673,633 Boulanger May 7, 1901 1,022,149 Maphet Apr. 2, 1912 1,768,438 Clark June 4, 1930 

